A Pulaski County judge didn’t follow proper court-mandated guidelines when he found Arkansas’ new voter ID law unconstitutional, attorneys for Secretary of State Mark Martin argued in court papers. Pulaski County Circuit Judge Tim Fox ruled in May that requiring voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot violated the Arkansas Constitution by creating a new qualification to vote. He also said lawmakers did not properly approve the measure, citing a constitutional amendment that requires a two-thirds vote in the Legislature to change the voter registration process.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported Friday that lawyers for the state argued in a Thursday court filing that Fox didn’t use the correct standard to evaluate the law and that he should have found it a legal “procedural requirement.” The court filing, also made on behalf of the State Board of Election Commissioners, argued that the new requirement allows poll workers to ensure that the person casting the ballot is the same person on the voter-registration rolls.
“When those comparisons confirm that the voter is who he claims to be rather than an imposter, then the public can rest assured that the person is lawfully registered to vote in the election,” the brief states.
Full Article: Arkansas voter ID law a ‘procedural requirement,’ secretary of state argues in court papers – Daily Journal.